If there is any indication of the cultural import and effect of the “millennials” – a term I dislike for reasons I will explain later – look no further than America’s malls. The Baby Boomer hubris and NIMBYism that sent malls into further and further orbits from city centers has come home to roost and it promises to change the face of retail in a big way. First,… Read More

Three months after John Lynch earned plenty of praise for a 10-man draft that began with Stanford defensive tackle Solomon Thomas, the 49ers’ rookie general manager is giving himself a poor grade.Though Lynch has been part of the negotiations with Thomas, executive vice president Paraag Marathe, the chief contract negotiator, has had the lead role in those conversations.Thomas, Tennnessee wide receiver Corey Davis (No. 5) and Raiders cornerback Gareon Conely (No. 24) are the only unsigned first-round picks.Thomas already faces a steep rookie learning curve because of an NFL rule that prevented him from participating in the offseason program after the 49ers’ rookie minicamp in May.CAA also represents 49ers guard Joshua Garnett, a 2016 first-round pick who signed last year on the eve of training camp.Bosa missed the four games with a hamstring injury, but posted 10.5 sacks in 12 games and was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year.[...] Thomas arrives, however, the potential strength of the 49ers won’t be at full strength.